Clara MacBeth | |
|---|---|
 Undated photo of MacBeth | |
| Born | Clara Louise MacBeth 1870 or 1871 |
| Died | (aged 99) |
| Known for | Living on a cruise ship for 14 years |
Clara Louise MacBeth (1870 or 1871 – February 10, 1970) was an American heiress and long-term passenger on cruise ships. In 1971, the Guinness World Records listed her as the "Most Indefatigable Cruise Passenger". She lived on RMS Caronia between 1949 and 1963, a period of 14 years. It cost her $396 in daily fare to live on the ship with her traveling companion Madoline Frank. Without accounting for inflation, Cunard Line received $4 million from her in tickets.
An only child, MacBeth was born to James and Elizabeth MacBeth. Her father made his fortune through inventing a dynamite detonator. He owned a large amount of real estate in Brooklyn and Queens, and stock in Long Island Bond and Mortgage Guarantee Company. After her father died in 1929, MacBeth inherited $719,788 (equivalent to $14,400,000 in 2023) from him. After her mother died in 1933, she inherited $708,391 (equivalent to $16,700,000 in 2023) from her. MacBeth served on the board of directors of the Long Island Bond and Mortgage Guarantee Company in 1931.
MacBeth died at the age of 99 in 1970. She left an $11 million estate (equivalent to $86,300,000 in 2023), two-thirds of which she bequeathed to her long-time financial adviser Henry Hottinger, and one-third of which she donated to the New York Community Fund. She gave $300,000 (equivalent to $2,400,000 in 2023) in a trust to her traveling companion, Madoline Frank, and $20,000 (equivalent to $157,000 in 2023) to her Caronia waiter.